Electrolytic apparatus.



J. T. KING.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19; 1917.

Patented J an. 22, 1918.

FFKQE.

JAMES T. KING, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO,

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

Application filed April 19, 1917. Serial No. 163,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES THOMAS KING, of the city of Toronto, in thecounty of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to. apparatus particularly adapted for conductingelectrolytic assays, and my object is to devise apparatus in which aplurality of assays may be carried on at the same time with theelectrolytes in series, in which any one receptacle of electrolyte canbe withdrawn from cooperation with its electrodes without breaking thecircuit through the electrolyte of the remaining receptacles, and inwhich effective stirring of the electrolyte is obtained without movingeither electrode and without using any special'stirring device.

I attain the objects above set out and others which will hereinafterappear by means of the constructions hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of my improved electrolytic apparatus;

Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the same;

Fig. 3 a plan view partly broken away;

Fig. 4 a rear elevation; and

Fig. 5 a vertical section of the receptacle support, and its mountings.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevationpartly in section of the electrodeclamps.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

The basis of the present'invention is the arrangement of the apparatusso that the receptacle for the electrolyte is rotated so as to obtainall the advantages of the stirring of the electrolyte while theelectrodes remain stationary. j

g I therefore provide one or more supports 1 for the electrolytereceptacles such as 2. These receptacles will usually, of course, becylindrical beakers. The supports are cupshaped as shown to receive thebeakers, and as the beakers may vary slightly in size, each support isprovided with elastic means adapted to engage the sides of the beaker.

In Fig. 5 I show rubber plugs 3 fitted in recesses inthe inner face ofthe cup-shaped support. The inner edges of these plugs protrude andyield more or lessto suit variations in the size of the beaker. Thissupport thus has a frictional grip of the beaker so that the latter willturn with the support. The support is provided with a spindle 4=suitably journaled in a bearing 5. This bearing is vertically movable ina guide 6 secured to the base of the apparatus. The bearing ispreferably tubular externally and a similar recessis formed for it inthe guide, from which recess extends the vertical slot 7. A pin 8 issecured to the bearing 5 and extends through the slot, and on its outerend is threaded a nut 9. Between the nut and the guide is placed awasher 10, preferably of rubber metal-faced, for a purpose which willhereafter appear.

It is evident that the pin 8 with its nut provides means whereby thereceptacle support may be raised orlowered and held at any desiredheight. A rubber buffer 11 is preferably provided at the upper end ofthe slot 7 to limit the upward movement of the receptacle support.

Above the receptacle support is located the electrode clamps 12. One jawof each clamp is stationary and the other jaw 13 is connected with aslide 14 movable in a guide 15. The upper end of this slide is upturnedto form a finger grip 16. Between this finger grip and the guide islocated a coil spring 17 which tends to move the movable jaw of the.clamp toward the stationary jaw. The clamps are so arranged that oneelectrode will be held substantially in alinement with the axis of thespindle 4, and hence of the electrolyte receptacle, while the other isoifset.

The electrode 27 carried by the first mentioned clamp will usually be ofa strip of rodlike form, while the electrode 28 carried by the otherclamp is preferably a cylinder or portion of a cylinder concentric withthe axis of the electrolyte receptacle. Consequently, when theelectrolyte receptacle with its liquid contents is rotated, theelectrolyte is in constant motion relative to the electrodes, but is notunduly agitated.

It is necessary, of course, that when the electrolyte receptacles andelectrodes are not in cooperative position that the rotary movement ofthe electrolyte receptacle should cease. It is necessary, therefore, toprovide means for driving the support which will automatically go out ofgear when the support for the electrolyte receptacle is lowered.

The driving arrangement provided comprises a suitable motor such as theelectric motor 18. This motor, by means of a suitable pulley 19, drivesthe belt 20. This belt is carried around suitable guide pulleys 21 andextends lengthwise of the apparatus transversely of the spindles 4 andadjacent thereto. Each electrolyte support is provided with a conepulley 22, which, when the support is raised, will contact with the beltand be frictionally driven thereby.

The electrolyte clamps are connected in series in a suitable circuit 23.As the electrolyte in each receptacle normally forms part of thecircuit, the circuit would be broken when an electrolyte receptacle islowered sufliciently to withdraw the electrodes from contact with theelectrolyte. I therefore procure automatic means for establishing ashunt circuit around the electrode clamps of any receptacle which is solowered. These shunt circuits are indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1,and the metal strips comprising them are shown more clearly in Figs. 2,3 and 4.

Each shunt circuit 2% includes contact plates 25 secured one at eachside of the slot 7. WVhen a support 1 is lowered sufliciently to breakthe circuit through the electrolyte in the receptacle carried thereby,the washer 10 which forms a contact piece establishes an electricalcontact between the two plates 25 so that there is no break in the maincircuit through the remainder of the apparatus. In the drawings I showonly two supports, but in actual practice a number more will probably beemployed.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised apparatuswhich will satisfactorily attain the objects of my invention as set outin the preamble to this specification.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In electrolytic apparatus, thecombination of suitably supported electrodes; a rotatable support for anelectrolyte receptacle; and means for rotating said receptacle support.

2. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of suitably supportedelectrodes, one of said electrodes being formed as a portion of a hollowcylinder; a rotatable support for an electrolyte receptacle; and meansfor rotating said receptacle support.

3. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of suitably supportedelectrodes; a rotatable support for an electrolyte receptacle formed asa cup provided with elastic holding means adapted to engage the sides ofa cylindrical receptacle; and means for rotating said receptaclesupport.

4;. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of suitably supportedelectrodes; a rotatablesupport for an electrolyte receptacle; means forrotating said receptacle support; and means for axially adjusting theposition of said support relative to the said electrodes.

5. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of suitably supportedelectrodes; a support for an electrolyte receptacle mounted for rotationand adapted also to be moved axially to and from the electrodes; afriction pulley connected with said receptacle; and a suitably drivenmeans with which said friction pulley engages when said support is movedto a predetermined position relative to the electrodes.

6. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of suitably supportedelectrodes; a circuit including said electrodes; a shunt circuitnormally open; and means connected with the receptacle support wherebythe movement of said support a predetermined distance from theelectrodes closes the shunt circuit.

7. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of two pairs of electrodeclamps; spring actuated slides to which one clamp of each pair isconnected; a rotatable support for an electrolyte receptacle; and meansfor rotating said receptable support.

8. In electrolytic apparatus, the combination of electrode clamps; asupport for an electrolyte receptacle; a spindle to which said supportis connected; a bearing for said spindle; a guide in which said bearingis vertically adjustable; a circuit including the electrodes; a shuntcircuit normally open and including contact plates mounted on saidguide; and a contact piece earned by said bearing adapted to engage thecontact plates and close the shunt circuit when the said support ismoved a predetermined distance from the electrode clamps.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 10th day

